24th July 2010.

Excitement has been building as today sees the opening day of the season in both the Scottish Premier League and Welsh Premier League seasons.
Welsh Preview.
Cardiff and Swansea are the sure fire favourites to run away with the division in their first season in the top flight of the Welsh domestic league. Hopes are high that the huge level of interest throughout Wales will continue as for the first time a truly Welsh national league will be competed for.
Aside from the big two, Wrexham will hope to make headway and push for third place and in that fight they will face a struggle against what should be disciplined Newport and Llanelli sides. Last seasons champions TNS will also be pushing for a top six placing.
At the other end of the table, Colwyn Bay, Airbus and Port Talbot, Aberistwyth and Bangor will be doing their best to avoid relagation. Seeing as due to the English League money their stadiums are up to scratch and due to the TV money they are going full-time, this will be an important season for them.
In terms of the opening day fixtures, match of the day is either Cardiff v Airbus in what is Cardiffs first game back in the Welsh League, live on pay-per-view SPLTV2, and Wrexham who visit to Llaneli who are playing this season in the Scarlets Rugby Stadium in another live televised game, avaliable to subscription viewers of SPLTV1. Swansea play their first match of the season on Sunday at home to Bangor in what should be a comfortable win for the Swans.
Scottish Preview.
Another season kicks off in Scottish football, this time due to league expansion with 14 clubs, one in which many questions will be asked.
In terms of the battle for the title, Rangers and Celtic as always will be up there battling away, but the question of whether a trhird force could challenge them is up in the air. One would hope that Hearts, Hibs or Dundee United will show more consistency and put up more of a challenge than in recent years. In reality however, they will be battling, one suspects for third and the guaranteed Europa League spot it gives.
Dundee, in administration and currently barred from signing players and starting with a ten point deficit will do well to emerge in any position other than the bottom spot in the league, the only spot which guarantees relegation.
This leaves aside the fact that the fear factor is due to return to the SPL this season, as after the split alongside the bottom team, who will be relegated, the teams finishing 13th, 12th and 11th will play off with the runners-up in the First Division with one side from the play-off being relegated. This, one would think would mean teams such as St. Johnstone, St. Mirren, Inverness and Hamilton could be drawn into a relegation dogfight. Unless they are careful, it could draw bigger sides in as well.
As for the opening day fixtres, Rangers face a tricky opener at home to Hearts, there is a New Firm match as Aberdeen play host to Dundee United, Kilmarnock will be hoping for three points from a visit to Dens Park where they play Dundee. In the other matches Celtic travel to St. Mirren, St. Johnstone play Inverness and on Sunday Motherwell and Falkirk do battle.
Its time for kick off.....

Excitement has been building as today sees the opening day of the season in both the Scottish Premier League and Welsh Premier League seasons.
Welsh Preview.
Cardiff and Swansea are the sure fire favourites to run away with the division in their first season in the top flight of the Welsh domestic league. Hopes are high that the huge level of interest throughout Wales will continue as for the first time a truly Welsh national league will be competed for.
Aside from the big two, Wrexham will hope to make headway and push for third place and in that fight they will face a struggle against what should be disciplined Newport and Llanelli sides. Last seasons champions TNS will also be pushing for a top six placing.
At the other end of the table, Colwyn Bay, Airbus and Port Talbot, Aberistwyth and Bangor will be doing their best to avoid relagation. Seeing as due to the English League money their stadiums are up to scratch and due to the TV money they are going full-time, this will be an important season for them.
In terms of the opening day fixtures, match of the day is either Cardiff v Airbus in what is Cardiffs first game back in the Welsh League, live on pay-per-view SPLTV2, and Wrexham who visit to Llaneli who are playing this season in the Scarlets Rugby Stadium in another live televised game, avaliable to subscription viewers of SPLTV1. Swansea play their first match of the season on Sunday at home to Bangor in what should be a comfortable win for the Swans.
Scottish Preview.
Another season kicks off in Scottish football, this time due to league expansion with 14 clubs, one in which many questions will be asked.
In terms of the battle for the title, Rangers and Celtic as always will be up there battling away, but the question of whether a trhird force could challenge them is up in the air. One would hope that Hearts, Hibs or Dundee United will show more consistency and put up more of a challenge than in recent years. In reality however, they will be battling, one suspects for third and the guaranteed Europa League spot it gives.
Dundee, in administration and currently barred from signing players and starting with a ten point deficit will do well to emerge in any position other than the bottom spot in the league, the only spot which guarantees relegation.
This leaves aside the fact that the fear factor is due to return to the SPL this season, as after the split alongside the bottom team, who will be relegated, the teams finishing 13th, 12th and 11th will play off with the runners-up in the First Division with one side from the play-off being relegated. This, one would think would mean teams such as St. Johnstone, St. Mirren, Inverness and Hamilton could be drawn into a relegation dogfight. Unless they are careful, it could draw bigger sides in as well.
As for the opening day fixtres, Rangers face a tricky opener at home to Hearts, there is a New Firm match as Aberdeen play host to Dundee United, Kilmarnock will be hoping for three points from a visit to Dens Park where they play Dundee. In the other matches Celtic travel to St. Mirren, St. Johnstone play Inverness and on Sunday Motherwell and Falkirk do battle.
Its time for kick off.....